Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Delta Theta Beta sorority helped raise cancer awareness with an event called Strawberries for Strength.

All were welcome to write the name of loved ones that have suffered from any kind of cancer on handmade strawberries and post them on the “Garden of Strength” banner.

“I have an aunt that is, thankfully, in remission from breast cancer,” Torres said. “The point of the strawberries is to commemorate those that suffered or are suffering and to make sure that they stay in our memories and are not truly lost.”

Megan Jakobson, president of Delta Theta Beta, said that cancer awareness is very important to their sorority.

“We all have friends and family that suffer from cancer, including some of our alumni,” Jakobson said. “We are all sisters so it is extremely important to stick through tough times.”

Junior Jeffrey Cardinale gave a donation in honor of the event’s cause.

“Sometimes when kids are away at school, they forget that there is a world outside of Iona,” Cardinale said. “I think that events like this are great to not only get students involved but also to remember and acknowledge those that are suffering from any terrible disease really.”

Robert Tenaglia, a visiting freshman from the University at Albany, thought it was inspirational to see an event like this at Iona.

“It was really cool to see how much the people at Iona care about one another,” Tenaglia said. “It makes me want to go back and see if my school holds events like this.”

All proceeds from the event are going to the Relay for Life foundation. Relay for Life, run by the Colleges Against Cancer club on Iona’s campus, is an event in the spring that Delta Theta Beta participates in.

The foundation gives an award to the group that raises the most money. In addition to the donations that the sorority accepts at many of their events, you can also donate simply by searching for Delta Theta Beta on the Relay for Life website.

According to Jakobson, the sorority has no events planned for Breast Cancer Awareness Month as of right now, but they fully intend on creating an event for the cause in October.

“Having lost both my great grandmother and a friend of mine to cancer, it’s so important that we hold more events like this,” Jakobson said. “The award from Relay for Life isn’t what’s important but it means that we raised a lot of money for those in need.”

“The Garden of Strength” banner will remain in the eating area of LaPenta so everyone is welcome to go and remember their own loved ones as well as the loved ones of others.